Ideas?

Ok so im building a secure top to my 29 gallon tank in anticipation for the baby ball im getting. Im sumwhat worried about the heat lamp however. I don't want to put it inside the cage but where it is in the picture it sits on the wood and heats it up alot. im using liquid nails heavy duty to secure the fiberglass screening and it gets pretty warm. the liquid nails got kinda stick when i tested it but it was probibly not quite dry. should I be concerned with this or what? anyone have any ideas? here are some pics of my top.


http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...p/P1010585.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...p/P1010584.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...p/P1010583.jpg

What is the hood lamp for? I dont see why you would need that? Bp's do not need UVA/UVB.

toss whatever that other light fixture is. your ball doesnt need it and bright light stresses them out. that should leave plenty of room for the heat light.

Hi...and welcome to BP.net! :handshake:


You could try getting a smaller dome for the heat lamp and see if it fits better. But unless you're just using that light to supplement some undert-tank-heat you plan on including, I doubt a single bulb will be enough to suffeciently warm a tank that size.

And that is a really big tank for a baby bp...so be sure to include lots of hides and maybe some fake vines or something for it to "hide" in as it moves from the warm side to the cool side.

Lastly...those pictures are too big for the forum. Do you know how to resize and repost them? Or shall I turn them into links for you?

EDIT: And the others have a good point...you don't need that other light fixture up there anyhow...and without it, the dome you have should fit fine.

Well the heat lamp is red an I like to see natural colors of the snake. I used the hood lamp when I had fish in this tank. The florecesent light is just to add to asthetic value while viewing the snakes habitiat, and snake if it decides to be out and about during the day.

I would toss all the light fixtures and get a Under Tank Heater (UTH), heat lamps are terrible on humidity and will dry out the enclosure. Get a UTH and a thermostat or dimmer to control it then cover about 90% of your screen top with plexiglass to hold in heat and humidity. ;)

would have been nice if the local pet shop had let me know that a uth would have been better. I guess Ill ditch the hood light.

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Originally Posted by dbsharp

would have been nice if the local pet shop had let me know that a uth would have been better.

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Dont always listen to what pet shops have to say.

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Originally Posted by dbsharp

would have been nice if the local pet shop had let me know that a uth would have been better. I guess Ill ditch the hood light.

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Most pet shops don't have a clue whats best for them (there are exceptions to this rule). Here is a link to the caresheet, if you haven't seen it yet. You will get much more useful info here than at your pet shop. ;)

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Originally Posted by dbsharp

would have been nice if the local pet shop had let me know that a uth would have been better. I guess Ill ditch the hood light.

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The hood light is not bad for adding heat, but it'll be tougher to regulate the temps. Also, the light will be tough on the humidity, but there are work arounds for when your snake goes into shed.

UTHs are great because when coupled with a thermostat, they will keep the temps at an ideal temp 24/7.

If you do decide to use an UTH, see if you can close up the top using a piece of plexiglass instead of the wire mesh. Wire mesh and snakes don't mix. Not only will the humidity escape easily, but snakes are known for rubbing against the wire and creating a sore/scarring on their nose. You can always put some holes in the Plexiglass if you're concerned about ventilation.